The Works of Li Qingzhao, Ci Poems 3.9 - 3.16

[x_los]

This week we continue working with Li Qingzhao’s ci poetry. As usual, the book is freely available via De Gruyter's Library of Chinese Humanities in Mandarin and English and via several publication formats, including two open access options (the pdf appears to be better formatted than the ebook). We're reading the poems 3.9 through 3.16 inclusive.

Three of this week’s poems have endnotes, but these offer only small points of Chinese language exegesis. 

How to Read Chinese Poetry has three chapters on the ci forms Li Qingzhao uses here:

 

Chapter 12, Ci Poetry: Short Song Lyrics (Xiaoling) 

Chapter 13, Ci Poetry: Long Song Lyrics (Manci) 

Chapter 14, Ci Poetry: Long Song Lyrics on Objects (Yongwu Ci)

From next week, we’ll be looking at these as recommended reading.

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Comments

Re: 3.15

[superborb]

Very annoying when the first line is a variant and so it's hard to find on Baike!

The standard first line is more like "Warm rain and clear wind"

Willow eyelids are glossed as: young willow leaves have the appearance of slender eyes, thus, willow eyes. (I'd really tl it to willow eyes instead.)

Plum tree cheeks are glossed as: plum blossom petals are like the cheeks of beautiful women, thus, plum flower cheeks. (Tree seems an odd tl choice.)

Mound-pillow is glossed as: sandalwood pillow. Because the shape is like 凹, it was called a mountain pillow